1. Flight Line Study of Double-crested Cormorants, Preliminary Results
Richard Flamio, Eastchester High School

3. Review of Literature Flexible nesting requirements
Litter their habitat with guano and strip trees of their bark for their nests
Make environment unsuitable for waderbirds
Feed on small fish near the shoreline and are believed to consume juvenile fish

4. Human-Cormorant Conflicts
DCCOs in the Mississippi Delta consume over $5 million of catfish fingerlings/year and depredation has led to a $25 million profit loss/year
Sports fisheries have persecuted cormorants for allegedly decreasing fish populations
Egg oiling, shooting, and harassment are controlling techniques

5. Determining Cormorant Diet
In order to determine cormorant diet, otoliths of their regurgitated pellets may be examined
Otolith

6. Importance of Study
The current study would serve as a basis for future studies done in the Barnegat Bay region of New Jersey in order to aid the research in determining if cormorants affect local fish populations

7. Purpose/ Hypothesis
To understand how DCCO’s utilize their environment through studying roosting/loafing location preference and flight lines to and from these locations

8. Location
Barnegat Bay covers 75 square miles on the eastern seaboard of Southern New Jersey
Wide variety of wildlife and a large fishing community
Common roosting and loafing location April through October

9. Methods Myer’s Hole U.S. Coast Guard boats/ commercial fishing boats
Along LBI coast
Near inlet to ocean
Turtle Cove
In bay’s interior
Less disruption from boat traffic
Pilings
Important fishing sites
Marsh

10. Birds observed at Myer’s Hole biweekly from midmorning to early afternoon and at Turtle Cove weekly in early morning
All birds in sight were followed with binoculars
Travel direction and flock size were recorded for each bird observed arriving or departing

11. Results at Myer’s Hole 258 birds were observed (Avg. 23 birds/day)
47% moved each day on average
111 flocks were observed (Avg. flock size = 1.2 birds)

12. Myer’s Hole Flight Line

13. Results at Turtle Cove 120 birds were observed (Avg. 30 birds/day)
72% moved each day on average
47 flocks observed (Avg. flock size = 1.9 birds)

14. Turtle Cove Flight Line

16. Discussion
Myer’s Hole fits the roosting location profile of a smaller, more sedentary population
Turtle Cove fit the loafing location profile of having larger, more active numbers
More research is needed to solidify if the birds’ behavior was due to location status

17. Statistical Significance
No statistical tests or p-values were needed as all birds in sight were accounted for.

18. Conclusion
To understand how DCCO’s utilize their environment through studying roosting/loafing location preference and flight lines to and from these locations
The research study was highly successful in that flight lines were determined
Supports previous research that humans have enhanced cormorant problem by modifying the environment

19. Implications/ Future Research
There has been no research to date in this area on cormorants and observations on their activity will help future researchers determine if they have a definite impact on local fisheries
Fishermen chose the sites of study so that areas they believed were the sites of human-cormorant conflicts were directly studied
Movement patterns may be affected by weather
This is a preliminary study and research will continue next year

20. Acknowledgements Colin Grubel, CUNY Graduate Center and Queens College
Christian Gorycki, Edward Gruber, Jean-Marie Woods-Ray, Eastchester High School
John A. Brancato, Barnegat Bay fisherman
My Family and fellow ASRians
Dr. John Waldman, Queens College

21. Flight Line Study of Double-crested Cormorants, Preliminary Results
Eye Opener
Review of Literature
Human-Cormorant Conflicts
Determining Cormorant Diet
Importance of Study
Purpose/ Hypothesis
Location
Methods
Methods Flow Chart
Results at Myer’s Hole
Myer's Hole Flight Line
Results at Turtle Cove
Turtle Cove Flight Line
Flock Size Graph
Discussion
Conclusion
Implications/ Future Research
Acknowledgements

22. My Summer 2011:
Myer’s Hole

23. Turtle Cove, my boat, and my beach house
My Summer 2011:
Turtle Cove, my boat, and my beach house